KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan human rights lawyer Sarah Bireete has been arraigned in court today and charged with illegally obtaining and sharing voter information, a case that has stirred strong criticism from opposition leaders and rights groups ahead of the January 2026 general elections.
Bireete, 49, appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court in Kampala, where prosecutors accused her of violating the Data Protection and Privacy Act. She denied the charges and said the information in question was publicly available and used to promote transparency.
The charges come days after the Electoral Commission (EC) issued a public warning against what it called the unauthorized use of voter registration data. In a press release dated Dec. 31, 2025, the EC cautioned the public against using unofficial websites to access voter details and stressed that only the commission has the legal mandate to manage and publish voter registration information.
The EC said any unauthorized access, hosting or sharing of voter data is an offense under the law. It urged citizens to rely only on its official website to verify voter registration and polling station details.
Although the EC did not name individuals in the statement, prosecutors later linked the warning to the case against Bireete.
According to the charge sheet, Bireete and others still at large are accused of unlawfully obtaining or disclosing national voters’ information between January and December 2025 in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts. Prosecutors alleged the data was shared with officials of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), including party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
Bireete is the founding partner and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), a civil society group focused on human rights, legal reform and election integrity. She also chairs regional and global election monitoring networks and is a frequent commentator on governance issues on local media.
Her arrest on Dec. 30 sparked immediate controversy. Security forces, including police and military personnel, surrounded her home in Kampala and took her into custody. She was held at Nateete Police Station for more than three days before being brought to court, exceeding the constitutional 48-hour limit for arraignment.
Police initially did not disclose the charges. During her detention, Bireete had limited access to lawyers and family members, prompting criticism from legal experts and rights organizations.
At court, her lawyers applied for bail, citing her fixed place of residence, clean criminal record and the non-violent nature of the charges. The magistrate adjourned the hearing to Jan. 21 and remanded her after denying her bail. She returns 6 days after the elections.
Opposition leaders described the case as politically motivated. NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who attended the court session, called the charges “manufactured” and said the arrest was meant to intimidate critics of the electoral process.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Chapter Four Uganda, condemned Bireete’s arrest and detention, calling it unlawful and a violation of both Uganda’s Constitution and international human rights treaties.
On social media, the hashtag #FreeSarahBireete trended as supporters compared her case to previous arrests of opposition figures and activists.
Government officials have largely remained silent. The Electoral Commission has said it is not directly involved in the prosecution but maintains that voter data is protected by law.
Bireete’s arrest comes amid growing concern about shrinking civic space in Uganda under President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. In recent months, she had publicly raised concerns about alleged inconsistencies in the voter register ahead of the 2026 elections.
